www.bforartists.dehttps://www.bforartists.de
enBforartists 2 manifesthttps://www.bforartists.de/content/bforartists-2-manifest-0
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>The Beta of Blender 2.8 is close. And i am already back at work and at preparing everything for the new development cycle as you may have noticed. Time to define the development goals for Bforartists 2.</p>
<p>Bforartists 1 was once started to fix the UI issues in the Blender 2.5x series within the given bounds. And we have been very successful with what we did. Bforartists is much more user friendly and accessible than Blender. And we have lots of happy users already. Thanks for your support !</p>
<p>Blender 2.8 was then the long promised and long awaited development step that should solve and fix most of the UI issues in Blender. Blender has even introduced icon buttons in the tool shelf. Something that was plain impossible when we started with the development of Bforartists 1. So they obviously learned from us. They have now also official learning videos. Which is also a good thing.</p>
<p>All in all Blender 2.8 is a big step forward in terms of usability, and should have made Bforartists obsolete in best case.</p>
<p>So why a Bforartists 2? Why should we even continue with Bforartists when Blender 2.8 is so great now? The answer is simple: Because it is still not so great here and there. And can be improved in many areas. And that's why we continue with the development, and why there will be a Bforartists 2.</p>
<p><strong>Roadmap:</strong></p>
<p>We will merge the 2.8 code into Bforartists once the Blender 2.8 Beta is out. Means fingers crossed that the 2.8 Code is finally in the Blender master then. This merge will most probably kill nearly all of our old changes. The code base has changed too massive. And so we need to start over again in most areas.</p>
<p>Next step is to go through all old commits to check if they are still valid and if and how they fit into the new code. For example, we most probably need to reimplement our toolbar. A fuzzy task since lots of things are connected with this toolbar. And that's just one issue. Another one is to remove fragments that may still exist after the merge. The old Wireframe colors code needs to be removed. All in all thoudsands of commits are waiting here.</p>
<p>Then we need to make Bforartists working again, and to remove all the flaws and conflicts. As told above, some functionality has changed. Some stuff is now hardcoded. And conflicts with our Bforartists keymap. The addons needs a fix, and so on.</p>
<p>The time frame to finish this chapter is hard to judge. We have lots of things already done. For example we don't need to recreate the icons. But i cannot say if and how our old code integrates into the new Blender code. I expect to be busy for around half a year or more up to this point. But i wouldn't be surprised when it's a year or two instead. That's development.</p>
<p>And then let's have a look what can be improved. A few points have been already told. We need to revert some bad decisions. Like to make the panels more compact again and to remove the empty space, remove double menu entries again, reduce the places where the user has to look for tools and settings. There was a request already to make the annotation and grease pencil tools more accessible. And so on.</p>
<p>As you can see, there is lots to do. We cannot promise that we have a working version when Blender 2.8 goes final. But we do our best to create the best possible Bforartists 2 version for you.</p>
<p>- Reiner</p>
</div></div></div>Sat, 27 Oct 2018 10:46:30 +0000Reiner3905 at https://www.bforartists.dehttps://www.bforartists.de/content/bforartists-2-manifest-0#commentsOld development versions removed from the download pagehttps://www.bforartists.de/content/old-development-versions-removed-download-page
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>
While preparing everything for the development of Bforartists 2 i have cleaned up our server a bit. And deleted the old development versions of Bforartists 1 at the download page. They were just available for historical reasons. And it makes simply no sense to keep them online anymore. Bforartists 1 is in fact the old version now.</p>
<p>
When you are in need of an old development version of Bforartists 1, then you have to compile it by yourself. The sourcecode can be found at Github. <a href="https://github.com/Bforartists/Bforartists/releases">https://github.com/Bforartists/Bforartists/releases</a></p>
</div></div></div>Mon, 22 Oct 2018 09:11:15 +0000Reiner3903 at https://www.bforartists.dehttps://www.bforartists.de/content/old-development-versions-removed-download-page#commentsRewritten Manual chapter 3.5 Editors - Movie Clip Editor.pdfhttps://www.bforartists.de/content/rewritten-manual-chapter-35-editors-movie-clip-editorpdf
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>
We have a new rewritten chapter for the Bforartists 1 manual. 3.5 Editors - Movie Clip Editor.pdf</p>
<p>
Yes i know, i said the chapter Bforartists Manual 1 is closed. And that i work at the Bforartists 2 manual now. But this intermediate step here is simply too big. It would have been a shame to dismiss it. And so i have added this chapter to the Bforartists manual 1 now.</p>
<p>
This manual part has grown now to 91 pages. It was around 30 or so before the rewrite. And i have removed lots of unnecessary and not belonging parts of the initial Blender manual. A general tutorial what Motion Tracking is, or so called best practice tips does simply not belong into a reference manual.</p>
<p>
The manual is here: <a href="https://www.bforartists.de/wiki/bforartists-1-manual">https://www.bforartists.de/wiki/bforartists-1-manual</a></p>
</div></div></div>Tue, 09 Oct 2018 08:44:36 +0000Reiner3901 at https://www.bforartists.dehttps://www.bforartists.de/content/rewritten-manual-chapter-35-editors-movie-clip-editorpdf#commentsClosing the Bforartists Google + pagehttps://www.bforartists.de/content/closing-bforartists-google-page
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>
Google has announced that they will shut down Google + for private persons after a data leak in spring this year. Not immediately. The closing process is announced to go across the next ten months.</p>
<p>
This message about the leak never arrived at us users. As a consequence we have closed our Google+ page immediately. The Bforartists Google + page not longer exists.</p>
</div></div></div>Tue, 09 Oct 2018 06:18:42 +0000Reiner3900 at https://www.bforartists.dehttps://www.bforartists.de/content/closing-bforartists-google-page#commentsBforartists 1.0.0 is now a github branch and archivedhttps://www.bforartists.de/content/bforartists-100-now-github-branch-and-archived-0
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>
We have ended the official development at Bforartists 1 now. Well, there wasn't any changes for a pretty while. But Bforartists 1 is now an archived branch in the repository. And not longer the master. The name of this branch is bforartists_100_last.</p>
<p>
This ends the Bforartists 1 line. All further code in the master is now to prepare and develop Bforartists 2.</p>
<p>
The reason is that for Windows we are dependant at the precompiled Blender libs. And they have long removed the old Libs to compile it with VS 2013. Plus the libs for VS 2017, which worked at least until last week, are not compatible anymore with Bforartists 1 since of now. And so there is no way to compile Bforartists 1 anymore at Windows without to compile the libraries by yourself. A task for a life time ...</p>
<p>
For users nothing changes. You can still download the binaries.</p>
<p>
For self compilers: you cannot compile Bforartists 1.0.0 at Windows anymore . The precompiled libs to do so are not longer available. The code in the repository is now the code that we prepare for Bforartists 2. It compiles and works still fine. But it has already some flaws and bugs. And the mess will most probably even increase in the next weeks. This is the preparation to merge Blender 2.8 into Bforartists. So don't expect anything to work flawless from now on until we have really merged Blender 2.8 into our repository.</p>
<p>
Kind regards</p>
<p>
Reiner</p>
</div></div></div>Mon, 03 Sep 2018 09:30:47 +0000Reiner3889 at https://www.bforartists.dehttps://www.bforartists.de/content/bforartists-100-now-github-branch-and-archived-0#commentsNew manual chapter 3.3.1 Editors - UV-Image Editor by tools.pdfhttps://www.bforartists.de/content/new-manual-chapter-331-editors-uv-image-editor-toolspdf
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>
3.3.1 Editors - UV-Image Editor by tools.pdf is the next new chapter in the manual. The chapter 3.1.1 - 3D View by tools - Tool Shelf.pdf got also a few updates. Mark and clear seams was missing.</p>
<p>
This closes the changes at the manual for Bforartists 1. Rewriting the manual to Bforartists 2 will be a completely different chapter, and a completely different manual then.</p>
</div></div></div>Mon, 06 Aug 2018 16:07:49 +0000Reiner3862 at https://www.bforartists.dehttps://www.bforartists.de/content/new-manual-chapter-331-editors-uv-image-editor-toolspdf#commentsNew manual chapter 3.13.1 Editors - User Preferences by tools.pdfhttps://www.bforartists.de/content/new-manual-chapter-3131-editors-user-preferences-toolspdf
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>
And yet another new manual chapter. 3.13.1 Editors - User Preferences by tools.pdf</p>
<p>
The complete manual pdf file is also updated. It can be found in the Wiki, Manual section: <a href="https://www.bforartists.de/wiki/Manual">https://www.bforartists.de/wiki/Manual</a></p>
</div></div></div>Sat, 28 Jul 2018 16:25:34 +0000Reiner3856 at https://www.bforartists.dehttps://www.bforartists.de/content/new-manual-chapter-3131-editors-user-preferences-toolspdf#commentsNew Manual chapter 3.11.1 Editors - File browser by tools.pdfhttps://www.bforartists.de/content/new-manual-chapter-3111-editors-file-browser-toolspdf
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>
We have a new manual chapter. 3.11.1 Editors - File browser by tools.pdf</p>
<p>
The complete manual pdf file is also updated. It can be found in the Wiki, Manual section: <a href="https://www.bforartists.de/wiki/Manual">https://www.bforartists.de/wiki/Manual</a></p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 04 Jul 2018 09:59:33 +0000Reiner3834 at https://www.bforartists.dehttps://www.bforartists.de/content/new-manual-chapter-3111-editors-file-browser-toolspdf#commentsBack at workhttps://www.bforartists.de/content/back-work
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>
Hey Folks,</p>
<p>
The development of Blender 2.8 has grown to a point where we can say if it makes sense to continue with the active development of the fork. The question to stop the fork was risen since the Blender developes finally fixes so much at the UI.</p>
<p>
To make it short, it makes still sense to continue. As expected it's the whole usability philosophy that still suffers. On the positive side, lots of things have changed to better. Kudos to the Blender developers, they did a great job at some ends. They have even finally made the 3D cursor hidable. Something that Bforartists had from the first moment on. They have now icon buttons in the tool shelf too. And will surely borrow a few more things from Bforartists.</p>
<p>
But there is still lots of room for UI improvements. They made some things even worse. In the Properties editor everything is longer to scroll now. And they have still the RMB select as default. They will never let go this part i guess. Even worse, they made LMB select with the new icon buttons in the tool shelf mission impossible. At least for now. When you turn on Left Click select, then the buttons acts with right mouse. Not even sure if they have noticed this quirk yet. Maybe they will fix it at one point.</p>
<p>
Either way, we are back at work now, the new development cycle is opened. Well, i personally was never completely away, and the development was never completely stopped. We merge the Blender master regularly into our repository. And there is always something in the background to do. Like work at the page ( the DSGVO was a very bad and time consuming surprise). Then there is the Manual. And i follow the development of Blender 2.8 very actively too.</p>
<p>
There is also always some promotional work to do. We have a big two sided article now in the newest Issue of the german print magazine Digital Production for example. Issue July/ August. <a href="https://www.digitalproduction.com/ausgabe/digital-production-04-2018/">https://www.digitalproduction.com/ausgabe/digital-production-04-2018/</a></p>
<p>
The first changes in this new development cycle goes into the Manual. We have four new chapters now. Which all goes into the old Bforartists 1 Manual for now. We still wait that Blender merges the 2.8 branch into the Master. Then we can refill the tracker, and continue at the code base. But don't expect fast results. In some areas we might need to start from scratch.</p>
<p>
We will do our best to create the best possible Bforartists for you :)</p>
<p>
- Reiner</p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 29 Jun 2018 10:06:12 +0000Reiner3831 at https://www.bforartists.dehttps://www.bforartists.de/content/back-work#commentsReupload of the Windows 64 Bit installerhttps://www.bforartists.de/content/reupload-windows-64-bit-installer
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.bforartists.de/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/fileassociation.jpg?itok=0kWD4CQQ"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.bforartists.de/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/fileassociation.jpg?itok=0kWD4CQQ" width="480" height="120" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>
We had a litte problem in the installer for the 64 Bit windows version. The file association with Blender files did not work. Some cobolds deleted a vital part in the installer script. The cobolds are catched, the installer is now fixed and reuploaded.</p>
<p>
We recommend to uninstall the old version, redownload the 64 Bit installer, and reinstall Bforartists when the file association is missing. The new installer version will add the file association with blend files then. To check if it has worked, right click at a blend file, choose "open with", and there you should find Bforartists in the list now.</p>
<p>
Sorry for the inconvenience folks. Some bugs always makes it through ...</p>
<p>
- Reiner</p>
</div></div></div>Sat, 19 May 2018 16:34:16 +0000Reiner3806 at https://www.bforartists.dehttps://www.bforartists.de/content/reupload-windows-64-bit-installer#comments